Despite flaws, a quick and entertaining look at a familiar and interminable hospital visit.
Although The Doctor Will See You Now, written by Zoe Chapman, is advertised with a 60-minute runtime, the play actually runs closer to 45 minutes. This quick pace serves to escalate the mounting chaos, but the speed is nonetheless ironic for a play dedicated to recreating that endless boredom and indignity that accompanies a standard hospital visit. Though its genre and intentions can be confusing, The Doctor Will See You Now is successful in offering a valid critique of the patient experience within the medical system, in a short amount of time.
The first confusion is the matter of location. The entire cast speaks with American accents; at the same time one character wears a TFL-branded “baby on board” pin. Certain references could apply to both medical systems, but the play eventually seems to tip towards commentary on the NHS, making the lack of British accents all the more confusing. It’s possible this was an intentional choice to demonstrate the universality of what patients endure across continents, but it became a persistent distraction.
The Doctor Will See You Now seemed equally uncommitted to genre. Of course, hybrid and experimental plays are effective, but this instance felt like a case of writer and director wanting to indict the medical system from both a place of hyper-realism and parody. The lack of commitment in any direction muddled the clarity such that that neither was entirely effective. This particular staging leans into over-the-top absurdism and satire through farce. At the same time, the script makes the case that the reality is crazy enough. These two approaches could potentially coexist, but the play is rushed and rules of the world never become clear, complicating what is relatable and what is comedy for comedy’s sake.
Nonetheless, the play’s short run time, distinct relatability, and persistent humour make it enjoyable. The waiting room set immediately draws in the audience and The Doctor Will See You Now flies as a result of its cast. Lucia Kang has the biggest performance lift and rises to the challenge. Delphine Eudora and Lee Hatsumi-Mayer are believably funny as bickering mother and son. Mary Bento’s strongest moments come in relation to Hatsumi-Mayer. Laura Pellicano was consistently hilarious as the hospital’s nurse and sole on-duty staff member, despite the incomprehensibility of her character. Pellicano delivers the most important line of the show, a subtle but critical moment that reminds the characters and audience that there is exploitation and indignity on both sides of the system. Leo Lai was fully committed, but his character’s humour risks over-reliance on him not speaking English.
The interactions between the specific and well-drawn characters are some of the play’s most brilliant contributions towards recreating both what is true and imagined about the hospital experience. Characters are real and nuanced, thanks to Chapman’s script. Several memorable moments felt attributable to excellent directing choices by Erin Chen, though the direction was uneven. Challenging blocking was handled with ease, but moments of intended rapid dialogue failed to overlap and awkward pauses let the pace drop.
Chapman’s script is action-packed – a breath of fresh air in many ways – but The Doctor Will See You Now may benefit from more time. With room to breathe, its critique is incisive and sharp. With more time to bloom and heighten into itself, the audience would certainly be taken along for Chapman’s ride.
The Doctor Will See You Now is on at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre until 15 August as part of Camden Fringe. Tickets are available online at https://camdenfringe.com/events/the-doctor-will-see-you-now/.